NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14648, 28 February 1918, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Anchor Company notify intending passengers that the s.s. Kaitoa will sail for Motueka at 9 o'clock this morning, instead of at 10 o'clock as previously advertised.

It should be" noted that the casualty lists' and lospital reports now supplied to Nelson are for meri from the Canterbury military district only, .and do not cover the whole of the Dominion. The inclusion of the New Zealand addresses of the soldiers adds to the value of the lists.

A concert will ba held in the Tapawera Hall on Monday, March 4th, in aid of the V.M.C.A. War Work Fund, when a varied programme will be given by the Nelson Concert Party, including items by Miss Flo Gow, Miss Hanby, Messrs E. H. Short, George Bush, F. McCabe, and N. R. Williams.

MrR. P. Hudson, M.P. for Motueka, telegraphed fronrKaramea to Westport ,as follows:—"The Prime Minister wires me that he will do what he can to ensure reinstatement of the Mapourika or other suitable boat in the WellingtonWest Coast service."

A. deputation waited on the Hon. G. W. Russell at Ghristchurch to urge that some assistance be given by the Government in starting superannuation J funds for employees of the smaller local bodies. Mr Russell, in reply, pointed out that,,existing legislation -already gave any local body power to establish superannuation funds for the benefit of employees. Mr Witty, M.P., said that compulsory superannuation was required. Mr Russell retorted that the Government was not inclined to legislate in any such matters as. these nniess pressed to do so, but at the next general election, which would probably be about a year from now, the matter could be made a subject for discussion.

Mr Robert Sloan,, of Wairiki road, Mount Eden, Auckland, recently wrote to the Hon. A. M. Myers, suggesting that te should resign from the Government, ard citing as a precedent the resignation of Prince Louis of Battenberg, First Sea Lord, early, in the war. In the course of a long reply, MiMyers said: ' 'You also instance Prince Louis of Batter berg. I concur with j yoi: heartily in tie golden opinions lie has earned of the whole of our fellowcitizens throughout the Empire, particularly in respect of his action in mobilising and placing our Fleet at its stations in time to preserve to us that command of the-seas which alone has enabled us to play a part in this war. One quite urderstands the delicacy of his motives in having retired from active participation in the direction of Navy affairs, after having performed this vital duty, but in comparing his case with mine you entirely overlook tie fact that the Prince was very largely German in blood (although so loyally British in sentiment and character), whilst I am a natural borr: British subject, having been born under the British flag, and that I have not.a single relative outside tie British Empire."

The election for the Wellington North I seat, rendered vacant by the elevation of Mr Justice Herchnan to the Supreme Court bench, will take place toniav. There are four-candidates viz: Messrs A. de B. Brandon (Reform), H. E Holland (Labour), J. P. Luke (Natioralist), arid A. N. Poison (Independent Liberal).

In connection with the Red Triangle Day appeal to raise £100,000 for the Avar work of the V.M.C.A. during the next twelve months, rJreadv over £5,----000 of the £10,000 set down as Wairavapa's share has been subscribed.

"If any evil or harm befalls the Rev. I Howard Elliott," stated the Rev. T. Miller, of Feilding, at a P.P.A. meeting in Masterton, "ten Elliotts will rise up to cake his place." This remark was greeted with rounds of applause.

"We want to get rid of the redtabbed shirkers, and send them away to .the front. I want to see all these colonels sent away to the front, and some of our fine boys of the earlier expeditionary forces brought back to administer. our camps in New Zealand." !■—Dr Thackor, '.M.l*., at Trentham.

A resolution from the Buller Hospital Board, advocating the nationalisation of the medical profession in New Zealand, was discussed by the Waihi Hospital Board. It was stated that the Minister in charge of hospitals does not deem it desirable to raiso the issue at a time when so many medical men are absent on war work. In a letter the Minister said that nothing could be done without legislation. The meeting decided to take no action.

A Khandallah resident attempted, a few days ago, to board a moving troop train, slipped, and fell between the carriages and the platform. A porter who saw him disappear shouted to him to keep still and to keep his arms straight.. The train was pulled uj< and the man was assisted on to the platform. With the exception of a few scratches and bruises and a fairly severe shock, he was uninjured, althougli 10 or 12 carriages had .passed by him.

The merry hopping time is now keeping everybody busy in the Nelson district (says Tuesday's "Dominion). At each hop-pick'irg season tlere is always an urgent demand for workers, in the field from Wellington, and so far some thirty odd people have been sent across to Nelson through the agency of the Labour Department, and more are required. The work is pleasant, lealthy, and fairly lucrative to the industrious. The Kaitoa left last evening with a full complement of pickers, I ard more will follow to-day.

A particularly sad case of drowning occurred at Tauranga. Three little bo}'s, Matty Mearns, aged lour years, and Barney and Bobby Smith, brothers, aged four and three years respectively, were playing in a boat oh the Waikareao beach. Apparently the anchor "was lifted on board, and the boat started to drift. The boy Mearns appears to have jumped out with the youngest Smith boy, but Barney Smith was carried out into the Waikareao estuary. A search was made after the alarm was given, and it was discovered that' the boat had stranded on a small island near the Judea side of the estuary. Evidently, from the footsteps seen in the sand, the little lad had landed and, probably being alarmed, had tried to wade over the beach to the Judea settlement, a short distance, and was drowned.

The following motion was carried at the conference of the Newspaper Proprietors' Association of New Zealand at Wellington this week:—"That thiß association desires- to place on record its admiration of the gallart rally to the Colours of members of all branches of the newspaper «nd printing business of the Dominion, and its prayer that those who are now fighting on the war frotts, or have been wounded or disabled, having done their duty nobly to their King and country, will be spared to retv,rn to^their homes in this Dominion to receive the grateful thanks of ! their fellow-colonists. To the memory of the hallowed dead who have fought their last figlt in defence of the liberties of the Empire and the world we record our reverential homage. Their comrades and relations will know them to more,-but their deeds" will live to inspire future generations and add fresh*lustre to our nation's<history."

It was stated or a recent occasion, says the Napier "Herald," that Mr. Wilford lad signed the discharge of v certain alleged German, a sergeant, from camp. As a matter of fact, Mr. Wilford said he had signed a document that would ultimately cause his discharge from camp, he not having the power to discharge men from camp. The sergeant, it is urderstood, though Mr. Wilford did not say so, has returned to an important position in j» Government Department in Wellington, and the secretary of the Returned Soldiers' Association in- Napier (Mr.: G. P. Aldridjre) informed a "Herald" re-! porter, officinllr that the npsoeiation had decided to take f"rth£r F+ons ard have the man r«"ioved from tie position he nnv ofcn^ips. Being a. German and not to }m i n camp, he is;not in his right place in a public position.

The whole-hearted loyalty of the press of New Zealand found expression in the following motion carried at the annual conference of the Newspaper Proprietors' Association, held at Wellirgton: "At this crisis in the affairs of the nation tie united press of New Zealand wishes to record its deep thankfulness at the splendid courage which has been manifested by all branches of the Defence Forces of fhe Empire in the great conflicts wlieh have taken place with a powerful enemy since the commencement of the war. Their courage and erdurance have been an unflagging manifestation of the deep patriotic spirit with which tley are imbued, and it is in a similar frame of mind that the newspaper press of the Dominion now assembled in annual conference desire that a message be transmitted to His Majesty the Kicg, through the Governor-Gen-eral, expressive of 'its unswerving i loyal to tie Crown, and its earnest prayer for the speedy triumph of His Majesty's Forces and their brave Allies, and for a lasting peace founded on the principles of righteousness and justice and the liberty of the world." The motion was carried with cheers for the King, following wlich the National Anthem was sur.g.

Messrs Bisley Bros, and Co. will hold a sale of freehold properties in the estate of the late T. W. Cole, 88 Vali^. on Saturday, March 2nd.

In reply to a statement that the price of eggs had not kept pace with the price of poultry food, Mr Brown, Government poultry expert, speaking at Westport, urged poultry keepers to make use of freezers and egg preserver, so as to put eggs on the market when prices yvere worth while.

The idea that shell shock at the front is responsible for many cases of insanity is without foundation (states the "Auckland Star"). Men have returned from the front who have had te be. confined in mental hospitals, but jmany of these would have fallen victims to mental disease even without going on active service. It is noteworthy that since the war began 45 soldiers have been received into the mental hospitals from the camps as against 44 returned soldiers. There are at present remaining in the institutions 23 soldiers from the camps, and 27 returned soldiers.

The number of legal practitioners throughout the Dominion, compiled from returns of the district secretaries District Law Society, is 935. They are the annual report of the Wellington j District Law Soicety, is 935. They are distrbuted as follows:—Auckland 221, Wellirgton 179, Canterbury 116, Otago 92, Hawke's Bay 57, Wanganui 57, Westland 20, Hamilton 51, Southland 35, Westland 20, Gisborne 22, Nelson 19, Marlborough 11, Taranaki 55.

When an appeal of a Second Division reservist came up before the First Auckland Military Service Board, Major Conlari said he conisdered that these appeals were premature, as these married men would not be accepted in camp for months yet. Hearing their j appeals now was only taking up tirati j unnecessarily. "Any Secord Division; man should "not at tie present mnmenv think of putting in an appeal," added the military representative. The a\r- ■ pellant whose case occasioned the remarks said lie was only aware of postponement of the calling up^of the Second Division through tie newo papers; lie had no official advice perI sonally.

A verdict of accidentally drowned was returned after the hearing of the evidence at an inquest as Levin on Saturday into the circumstances of the dentn of a little boy, Barney ltore, aged two years. Tho deceased went with his parents to the beach at Hokio, near i Levin, and was left alone while his parents gathered pipis. At the end of about half an hour, his mother returned tc the spot where the cart had been left, and then saw deceased floating face downwards in the water near the shore. She brought him ashore and called her husband, who applied measures to restore respiration, but the deceased did not respond.